


Dragon's Breath

by sommeabitch



Category: The Cat Returns - Fandom
Genre: Action, Adventure, F/M, Fluff, Im making this shit up as I go, Mystery, Romance, awesomeness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2015-10-11
Packaged: 2018-04-25 19:56:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4974046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sommeabitch/pseuds/sommeabitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Cat Returns: a 2002 Japanese animated fantasy drama film directed by Hiroyuki Morita of Studio Ghibli, produced by Toshio Suzuki and Nozomu Takahashi, written by Reiko Yoshida.</p><p>IT DOES NOT BELONG TO ME DON'T SUE ME</p><p>Baron and his companions live to help people in need, and when Haru comes to them for help, they wouldn't have refused for the world. Baron and Muta fight their way through the Cat Kingdom to save Haru who'd been taken captive by the Cat King for his son Prince Lune to marry, and get her to the portal to her world moments before she is trapped in her cat body forever. But what if she never made it? What if she were stuck in her feline body, unable to return home to her mother, her friends and her life? </p><p>If you ignore the cheesy title and my terrible summary skills, you'll find this story is a pretty good read. Lots of yummy stuff, guys.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dragon's Breath

She could feel herself changing. Her whiskers receding, the fur on her face slowly vanishing as she hustled up the stairs, unfaltering. I believe. I believe. Suddenly, her steps wavered. The stairs beneath her were collapsing, their foundation unable to support even her small weight after the failure of the building. Haru shrieked and pounced, clawing at the crumbling stone, unable to grasp it.

"Baron!" she gasped out, pure and unadulterated horror welling up within her; and then she fell, and the world went still.

She could see the sky of her world through the opening above her as she plummeted. A soft cloud painted with fuchsia drifted lazily over a sleepy blue sky. The sun was setting there now. She could never go home.

Haru waited for the ground to come to splinter her bones and snap her small body in two; but it never came. She landed hard on a very large, very soft object and bounced high before landing on the stone floor. Haru shrieked as she landed and rolled onto her side, shriveling into herself. She felt shadows crawl over her and heard the padding of both paws and a pair of shoes as everyone rushed to her.

Cool fingers grasped at the fur on her shoulder, obviously Baron's.

"Haru," he called, concern ebbing in his voice. "Haru, are you alright?"

She was not alright; she felt dead. But technically, she wasn't, so she sobbed in response to Baron's question. Somewhere, Yuki whimpered sympathetically.

She felt Baron's bare hands wander over her body and she wondered vaguely what he was doing. They were not soothing touches, but procedural and calculated. She didn't have to wonder for long though; Baron removed his hands from her back and gently rolled her body over, cradling her in his arms.

"Nothing broken," he said, speaking smoothly, as though he were talking to a baby. "You'll be quite alright."

Baron smiled down at her sadly, obviously implying the larger issue and not just her physical state. Haru looked at her hands, now covered in fur, all of her fingers now reduced to short toes and small, retractable claws. She felt along her nose, mouth and up to the top of her head. Her hair was completely gone, though in it's place was more fur. Her ears felt enormous and twitched involuntarily as she stroked them. Through her hazing vision she could she a long, brown tail, jerking spastically from beneath her skirt. Wrong.

Tears streaked a path down her face, wetting her fur. She sniffled quietly, trying her hardest not to be dramatic. Baron pulled her into his arms wordlessly and rested his chin on her head. The kindness in the action caused her to sob almost uncontrollably. She buried her face in his neck, ashamed at how childish she was being.

"I'm -- so s-sorry -- Baron," Haru managed to sputter out in-between sobs. Baron's eyes clouded with confusion and he moved back to look Haru in the eyes. When she wouldn't meet his gaze he held her chin in his hand and turned her face towards him.

"What could you possibly be sorry for Haru?" he asked, knitting his brow.

Haru cringed visibly, more tears threatening to pour from her now blood shot eyes.

"I didn't make it. You all tried so hard to get me home… and I fell," at her last words the dam broke and she collapsed into runny disarray.

Baron's expression quickly turned to one of understanding and determination, one, Haru was now realizing, he wore often.

"So, we did our best and couldn't quite make the leap? It happens to the best of us. What matters now is whether we choose to shoot again, or accept defeat. Muta and I would be honored to continue our quest to take you home, Ms. Haru. If there's is a way to return you to your human form; we will surely find it," Baron's doubtless statement left Haru nearly speechless.

After all the trouble they'd gone through for her, they were still willing to help her. She looked up at Muta who was hovering a small distance away from the two of them; giving them privacy but also being sure that Haru was okay. He seemed to know what the two of them were talking about though, since when Haru made eye contact, Muta grunted resolutely, nodding in approval.

Hope flickered alive and bright within her chest and she turned to Baron again, still disbelieving. Determination was set deeply in Baron's eyes when she looked at him, and she knew the sincerity of his words. Flinging her arms around him she embraced him tightly, the dead weight that had settled on her shoulders suddenly lifted. Yuki and her Prince noticed the change in atmosphere and drew closer, offering there support.

"Thank you Baron," she mumbled into his shoulder.

She stayed there for a minute and realized she had probably been holding him for too long. She yanked herself out of his arms suddenly, blushing slightly. Baron's expression didn't change and Haru wondered if he'd even noticed. Haru pawed at her face, rubbing the drying salt from her fur, but also in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

Baron stood up and brushed himself off. He slid his gloves over his hands and offered one openly to Haru. She took it and he helped her onto her new feet, wobbling nervously as Baron steadied her with a hand on her shoulder. He nodded once she'd gained her balance, then turned briskly to face the Prince who stood beside Yuki.

"Right," Baron said in a very business tone. "I would humbly ask for your assistance, Majesty." Baron bowed modestly.

"You have it of course, Baron," the Prince replied quickly and with certitude.

"Wonderful," Baron said, rising. "I require the use of your archives, Prince Lune. Also some accurate world maps of the animal kingdoms would be much appreciated, I think."

"Certainly," the Prince motioned to the king's advisor who bowed in response. "Natori will escort you the archives. I would take you myself but unfortunately I was torn from highly necessary, unfinished duties. The three of you can stay for as long as you need."

"I understand. Thank you for everything you've done for us," Baron tipped his hat and turned towards Natori who was waiting at the exit to the tower with Muta.

The Prince moved to Yuki. They stood very close together, their foreheads almost touching. Haru could see that their conversation was intimate, but she couldn't turn away. Yuki licked the Prince's cheek sweetly and they embraced, murmuring their goodbyes.

Haru tore her eyes away, blushing, and walked swiftly to join everyone at the exit. Yuki slowly peeled away from Prince Lune and eventually came to join them.

"Good luck to you all," the Prince addressed them sincerely, and left the way that he came.

Haru turned when she heard Natori speak.

"Well then. If you would all follow me, " he said already moving towards the labyrinth. "You will find that our archives are among the most extensive in Japan. You can find information here on nearly every subject acquirable."

Natori lead them through the labyrinth with deliberate ease, winding through the complex twists and turns without making a single mistake. He lectured about the cat kingdom's history as they walked. Muta groaned in distaste as he spoke, Baron listened with polite interest, making occasional comments or asking related questions, and Haru zoned out completely.

Haru hadn't been able to see much of the castle before; everything had happened so fast. Now, as Natori lead them through the vast, high ceilinged halls, Haru was able to appreciate the beauty of the cat's palace.

The walls looked to be composed of salmon colored marble, sculpted into beautiful depictions of graceful cats stretched into high arches and grasses swaying gently with the wind. Enormous windows filtered in sun light which ricocheted against the reflective marble giving everything a celestial air.

"Beautiful," Haru whispered under her breath. Yuki, who stood closest to her, heard her and nodded once in agreement.

"The palace was sculpted by the ancients: cats who lived here in Japan long before the human world even existed," Yuki's alluring voice glided through the silence, blending with it in a smooth transition. Everything about her seemed fluid and graceful. Her presence emanated a peaceful aura that Haru felt profoundly when ever she was near.

"Before we see the archives I'll show you to your sleeping quarters. It could be some time before you find what it is that you're looking for," unlike Yuki's, Natori's voice cut acutely through the quiet that had settled on the group.

He led them down a slightly narrower hall with a lower ceiling and large doors lining the walls. Natori stopped at the last door at the end of the hall and opened it. The room was well lit. A large window, fitted with heavy curtains that were drawn back streamed light onto the large, carpeted floor. A dining table stood in the middle of the room, holding an immense selection of foods; though mostly meats. Situated on the left side of the room was an enormous king sized bed with, what looked like, hundreds of pillows and a very fluffy comforter. On the far right wall was a mirror and another door.

"Where does that door lead?" Haru asked, inquisitively.

"The bathroom, Ms. Haru," Natori replied.

"Oh," Haru said dumbly. "I can take this room then, if no one else wants it."

Baron and Muta both declined possession and Natori moved on to show them the other two rooms. Baron chose the room closest to hers and Muta took the third room down.

"Right then," Natori said after everyone had picked their rooms. "I'll show you to the archives." Haru had begun to feel very tired. The adrenaline of the day's earlier events had worn off and she felt herself dragging her feet and not- so- subtly yawning repeatedly.

"Haru," Baron said to her, after another big yawn.

"M- yeah?" she breathed, rubbing her eyes.

"You have had a very exhausting day. I believe it would be good for you to get some rest."

"What?" Haru said, taken aback at his suggestion. There was no way she could sleep; she had to get back home. "I can't sleep now! We haven't even started looking for answers and it's still light outside!"

"Back in your world it's already very late. This is a mission that will take a lot of time. I know that you are eager to get home, but you can't be of any help if you are exhausted."

His statement was not judgmental, but simply practical. He placed a supportive hand on Haru's shoulder, making it clear that this was not up for debate. Haru knew that he was right, but still found herself feeling restless. She didn't want to wait until tomorrow.

"I'll go with Natori to find out where the archives are located, but as soon as I've seen them I'll follow your lead and get some sleep. I promise that we can get an early start tomorrow morning together after we've all had some well earned rest"

Haru slumped her shoulders in defeat and Baron removed his hand, sighing languidly when Baron left to follow Natori back down the hall. She pushed her door open and surveyed her surroundings. A wardrobe that she hadn't noticed before sat on the wall that housed the front door.

She was very tired, but she didn't particularly want to sleep in her school uniform, so she moved to inspect it's contents. Inside was an impressive collection of both masculine and feminine clothing. Many of the dresses were heavy, regal garments made for royal occasions, but in the very far corner was a lone dressing gown. It was simple, yet elegant. The material was seamless and sleek, obviously made of silk, and colored a pearly lavender.

She pulled off her clothing with difficulty, accidentally pulling out some of her own fur in the process, and slipped on the satiny gown. Spinning around, she turned to face her reflection for the first time. She didn't recognize who she saw at all; though was surprised to see that her proportions hadn't changed much, save for her hips which now seemed slightly broader. She looked odd.

The gown fit her form very nicely though, resting gently on her hips and enhancing her strange features. She stroked her paw over the smooth fabric, unable to look away from the foreign face staring back at her. She felt a familiar sting expanding behind her eyes and squinted them shut, finally turning away, groaning frustratedly.

Bright light still filtered through the window and Haru drew the heavy drapes over them roughly, plunging the room into darkness. She threw herself onto the plush bed, which swallowed her instantly, startling her. She flailed for a moment, but eventually gave up her attempts at surfacing. The bed was cozy enough, and very warm. Her eyelids drooped and her limbs felt heavy. Slowly, Haru sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.

****

Haru woke with a start and wrestled out of bed, falling onto the floor with a thud. She rushed over to the window and drew open the curtains, wincing at the sunlight. _Damn._ She thought, agitatedly. There was no way for her to tell how long she'd slept; it was always the same time here. She really hated this place.

With a huff she turned towards the table in the center of the room, which now held an entirely knew assortment of items. A platter of smoked salmon was at the center, surrounded by what looked like porridge, a bowl filled the brim with dead mice, and a pitcher full of milk. Her stomach growled in reaction to the sight of food and she moved to study the array.

She made a noise of disgust at the sight of the mouse bowl and pushed it to the farthest corner of the table from her. The porridge and milk looked alright so she drew up a chair and sat down. She quickly spooned a gob of the porridge into her mouth and gagged at the foul flavor. Cat food. Panicking, she chugged some of the milk straight from the pitcher to mask the horrible taste in her mouth.

She whimpered pathetically as her stomach growled in protest. Breakfast was ruined. She pushed away from the table, standing, and went to the wardrobe. As she looked at her uniform, she realized it really wouldn't do. He head was bigger now and the skirt rode up far too high. She sighed, sadly and tossed them off to the side.

Haru opened the wardrobe doors and pawed through her options until she found a relatively simple dress. Unlike most of the clothing available, it had only one layer and wasn't swarming with jewels and lace. The dress was deep blue and flowed just below her knees. The sleeves drooped below her shoulders and the waist hugged her tightly, but not uncomfortably so.

Actively avoided looking into the mirror, she exited her room. When she reached Baron's door, she suddenly felt nervous. Her arm stiffened, suspended only centimeters from his door, but for some reason she couldn't knock. Stop being dumb, Haru. She scolded herself, and forced her arm to move.

She tapped lightly on the the door and stepped back. Baron called her in and she released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Inside, Baron was lounging comfortably at the table, a kettle of steaming tea sat in front of him along with a beautiful fruit display and an angel cake, topped with cream and strawberries. Haru gawked in surprise at Baron's breakfast, her mouth watering slightly.

"Have you had anything to eat yet, Haru?" he asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"Um.. no," she replied. "Baron, how did you get all this food?"

"Someone came in this morning. What they had with them didn't suit my tastes, so I made a request and they brought me this," Baron stated matter- of- factly, motioning toward the food on the table with his free hand. "If you're hungry Haru, you're welcome to join me."

Haru only needed to hear those words before she flew to the table. She tried to control the urge to just stuff everything in her mouth as she chose a bright red apple from the top of the fruit bowl and cut a slice of cake and scooped it onto her plate. Baron poured her a cup of tea as she bit into the crisp apple. Juice gushed over her tongue and she smiled at the wonderfully sweet flavor. She had to remind herself to swallow before thanking Baron.

Her focus was entirely on the meal before her. She half wolfed her first cake slice down and ended up eating much of the fruit in the bowl. When her immediate hunger had diminished, she slowed down, now occasionally popping grapes into her mouth and sipping on her jasmine tea. She looked up at Baron, who, admittedly, she'd almost forgotten was there.

He was watching her with a look of quiet amusement, peering at her from over his tea cup. No matter what expression Baron wore on his face, he somehow always retained his intensity. Haru couldn't help but shiver. Baron set his tea cup down and stood.

"Well, I do believe I'm ready to begin the day," he said, picking up his coat and pulling it on.

"Sounds good," Haru stood, smoothed out her skirt, and followed Baron out the door.

As they walked down the halls, they passed by a few cat maids who smiled brightly and waved at them. Everyone here always looked so happy; almost too happy. Haru had never seen anyone in the castle who wasn't smiling, which was weird. She couldn't imagine she'd be happy one hundred percent of the time if she were a servant.

Haru snapped out of her thoughts when Baron made a quick turn down a short, wide corridor with a staircase at it's end, lit by torches. The wide staircase spiraled downward steeply. Haru couldn't see anymore widows so she figured they were now below ground level.

The walls had changed to white marble and beautiful, intricate paintings and tapestries now lined the walls, depicting what Haru supposed was the cat kingdom's history. They passed a particularly dark tapestry that suggested doom, it's edges tainted with shadows that creeped over fish skeletons scattered over dying grasses and wailing cats. In the center of the picture was a lake, and an enormous white cat; Muta.

Haru looked at the the picture in disbelief. She'd completely forgotten about this part of Muta. _What did they call him?_ She thought. _Ronaldo Moon._ She snickered when she remembered. She could understand why he'd changed his title.

She went to turn around and jumped when she nearly bumped into Baron who was standing right behind her.

"Oh, sorry, Baron I didn't see you," Baron chuckled lightly and she moved back a couple inches to make a space between them. Haru watched Baron stare intently at the portrait for a few moments before she decided to break the silence.

"Strange, huh?" Baron glanced at her her sideways before looking back at the tapestry which seemed to have him mesmerized.

"Indeed," he replied, his voice low.

"How long have you known him?" she asked, curiously.

"Many years," he said vaguely, still looking at the artwork, a question in his eyes.

"And he never told you about this?" Baron didn't say anything for awhile and Haru didn't think he was going to answer, but when he did his tone made Haru believe the conversation would be resumed another time.

"No, he did not."

Haru again followed him down the very long staircase to the archives which she still had yet to see. She wondered why it was so deep underground.

"Baron, why are the archives so far down?" she asked, her curiosity winning her.

"Don't really know," he replied. "I supposed it was easier to dig down than build up."

Just as Haru was thinking how ridiculous that sounded, the stairway ended and she found herself in the largest and tallest room she'd even been in. When she looked up she could hardly see the ceiling it was so far up; and every wall along the way was lined with endless rows of books.

Haru huffed a breathless laugh, grinning ear to ear. The room was shaped like an hour glass. Platforms were stacked in levels all the way up to the top, thread together by skinny, winding stair cases. On every enormous shelf were bright yellow lights lined over the books; one every few feet. Long tables that seemed to grow right up from the earth were everywhere and above them were the same yellow lights suspended by long sticks that stuck out of the carpeted floor. On the tables were stacks and stacks of books, and almost always accompanied by a cat in red robes scribbling hastily with a feathered pen or hustling about placing books in their rightful places.

The library was quiet, but it wasn't a stuffy silence, it made Haru feel very peaceful. She felt a strange urge to dance around, but contained it by bouncing up and down on her toes. When she looked up at Baron he was wearing a smile that she hadn't seen before; it was very adoring, and took her breath away. He always looked so stoic and mysteriously stone faced, but now he wore a loving expression of familiarity.

When they walk out in to the room the expression slowly faded away, but the light stayed in his eyes. Baron approached one of the tables with a cat who was copying something out of a book into another one with empty pages. They stood patiently, waiting for him to notice them but he seemed completely engulfed in his work. Another cat passed by them carrying a small stack of books and looked at them curiously. When he saw that they were waiting for the cat at the table he turned around and set his books on the table.

"You could wait here all day if you wanted. Once Odius begins a book he sometimes works for days. Can I help you two?" he asked, eyeing them expectantly through his spectacles that enlarged his chinky grey eyes.

The cat looked quite old. His fur was shaggy and grey, his face speckled with white fur and very long whiskers. His robes were very plain and looked well worn, but clean.

"Yes," Baron answered. "We're doing some research on transformation and would like to know where we can find information on the matter."

"Oh," the cat said. "Well, we have quite a lot of information on transformation. Were you studying anything specifically on the subject? The science? Perhaps the history?"

"A bit of everything, really." Baron replied and the cat looked at him surprisedly.

"Right. Um, you can follow me then."

The cat led them to the other side of the hourglass- shaped library which he explained was the non- fiction side. They climbed up five levels and the cat stopped and motioned to the books up and down the aisle.

"This entire row is most of the books we have on transformation," the cat said a little sheepishly. "If I can help you more please ask."

Haru felt her soul leave her body. There were thousand of books on this row alone.

"We could use some world maps of the animal kingdoms as well, if you please," Baron said, sounding completely confident.

Haru didn't understand how he did it.

"Yes of course, I'll set up a desk for you," They followed him back down and he picked up a couple of large scrolls along the way. He stopped at a table relatively close to the staircase that lead to the transformation floor, set the scrolls down on top of it, and Baron shook off his coat and hung it over the back of a chair.

"Thank you for all of your help," Baron said to the greying cat, who bowed slightly and scurried off to finish his own work.

Baron marched off, climbed the stairs back to the fifth floor and stood in front of the books, a look of determination plastered on his face. Haru almost wanted to laugh; he always took everything so seriously.

"Where do we start?" Haru asked, analyzing the shelf in front of her, running a paw over they're spines.

"Anywhere is good, I imagine," Baron pulled a random book from the shelf in front of him and studied the cover.

He took another and looked at the cover again, tucking the first one under his elbow. Haru decided to follow his lead and plucked out the first book she laid eyes on. The title was Transformation: Theory and Science. She shrugged and tucked the book under elbow, then pulled four more books out and carried them down the stairs to the table were Baron was already sitting. He'd laid out one of the largest world maps out over the table.

Haru set her books down and looked at the map that took up the entire expanse of available counter space, spilling over it slightly. It was unlike any world map she had ever seen. She recognized the continents, but none of the national boundaries. It had been painted beautifully with water colors; warmer closer to the equator and colder near the northern and southern hemispheres. The ocean was a murky gray which was also divided into boundaries- each differing in size and shape. Within each boundary was a picture of a different animal. Her eyes immediately went to Japan where she quickly found the very small kingdom of the cats.

To the west, in China, she found the kingdom of pandas which was quite small, a monkey kingdom, leopard kingdom… Haru stopped. Towards the the top of what she knew was chinese territory was a dragon, it's long red body twisting in on itself and sharp claws clutching a shimmering pearl.

"There's a dragon on this map, Baron," she said to him, unable to tear he gaze away from the flaming eyes and gnarling teeth depicted on the map before her.

"Hm?" He mumbled, looking up from his book. He looked over the table at what Haru was looking at and set his book down when he saw it. He stood and studied the rest of the map, searching for something. His eyes stopped on the bottom right corner where a small date was scrawled in swirling handwriting.

"This is a very old map, though not much has changed at all since it was made," Baron commented, obviously thinking deeply about something. "Interesting."

He sat back down in his chair and returned to his book, seemingly forgetting all about the dragon that danced on the paper before him. Haru took a seat next to him and picked up one of her books. _Internal Development of Transformation_. Haru flipped open the book, interested.

_The transformation of the body begins with the skin and ends with the soul. Flesh is an easy barrier to break; chemicals can be altered and DNA changed. The soul, however, is a far more obstinate boundary. A soul that has been attached to its original form for a long period of time takes much longer to accept the full transformation of the body than a soul that is new. A child or adolescent can often fully take on the change within a year, while an adult or elder can take up to a decade._

She re- read the paragraph in shock. Had Baron known this? She was still human. A year.

"Baron- Baron it says I have time," Haru said excitedly passing him the book. "Here look, read that paragraph. It says I only look like a cat; my soul is still human."

"This is useful information, but we still have a lot of studying to do." Baron closed the book with a snap. "Time for a history lesson."

Baron was on the move before Haru was even out of her chair. She bustled off after him, up the stairs and further down the fifth row to the history section, following him like a lost kitten. They each stripped off half a dozen books, barely even looking at the covers and then flew back down to the table to read what they had collected.

Haru read a book about the cat kingdom's history with transformation. Long ago, the cats were once worshipped by Egyptian humans. That was back when humans were still very aware of the animal kingdoms. They'd built beautiful statue depictions of their animal brothers, but the cat always remained the most revered. The humans possessed a crystal eye, which had been what created the first humans from the apes. The humans bestowed it on the ancient Cat King Mau, and in return the can king granted the humans a low level world of their own where they could live anywhere on the planet, but separately from the animal kingdoms. The Eye had been passed down through every generation of cat king, ending on the current one. It was shattered during the king's duel with Baron.

The two of them had been reading and sharing information for hours and Haru's stomach was starting to growl in complaint. She smiled shyly at Baron when her stomach growled again, particularly loudly. He looked at her empathically and set down the book he was reading.

"I think we're do for a lunch break," he said, standing and stretching. Haru jumped up, her kneels wobbling at their lack of use. She stretched her arms over her head, the fur on her back standing on end when she did so. When she turned to Baron he was watching her with his same, unreadable, stoic expression, coat in hand.

The two of them talked as they climbed up the long staircase.

"The King's Crystal Eye was the only one of it's kind?" Haru asked.

"There's never a mention of another one in any of the books I've read," Baron replied. "I suppose we should ask one of the sages."

"Well, where did it come from?"

"It never details that either. I'm not sure any of the cats knew; the Eye was a gift from the humans. Humans were once apes who used the eye to recreate themselves. Only the apes could know where the Eye originally came from."

"But.." Haru thought back to map and where she'd seen the ape kingdom. "The apes are in Africa."

"Yes, quite the journey," he said, sincerely, making Haru smile.

The two of them made their way back to Baron's room where an enormous meal was waiting for them. A triple decker tower of sandwiches stood proudly in the center, two bowls of large strawberries, little trays of sugar and liquid chocolate sat beside it, a kettle of steaming tea, a pitcher of lemonade, and a goblet- shaped bowl full of chocolate pudding.

"Well, they certainly went all out," Baron said, eyeing the extravagant display.

Haru wasted no time and quickly took a seat at the table.

"Oh, this looks so good," she exclaimed picking up a sandwich from the tower in front of her.

She heard a groan coming from the door and looked over to see Muta, ducking throughout the doorway, fur disheveled.

"Are you just now waking up?" Baron asked, humor edging in his tone.

"Yes, and?" Muta grumbled taking a seat at the end of the table.

"It's past lunch time, Muta. That's late even for you," Baron teased, pouring himself a cup of tea.

"Lecture me later, your highness," Muta said, packing as much sarcasm into his voice as possible.

Muta picked a up a sandwich and popped the entire thing in his mouth. Haru quickly took a few more, thinking ahead. Muta was very likely to eat all of the food if she didn't take her share now. Baron did the same, stacking them neatly on his napkin.

Their lunch was fun. Baron teased and Muta threw warning after warning. Baron seemed to know how to push him right to the edge but never over it. Their friendly banter was very amusing and Haru found herself laughing more than eating. Baron asked Muta a few questions about the Crystal Eye and found out that it was the only one of it's kind and that no one Muta had ever met knew anything about where it came from.

"Hm," Baron hummed contemplatively. "Well it wouldn't hurt to ask one of the sages if they know anything about it before making any decisions, but I think I know where we're headed next."

He paused for a moment and Muta groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Stop being dramatic Baron and just tell us where we're going."

"Africa," Haru butt it, enthusiastically.

"Africa?!" Muta's jaw dropped open, his eyes turning into perfect circles.

"Africa." Baron confirmed, smiling mischievously.

Muta pulled at his face, exasperatedly.

"What did I get myself into?"

"Tonight's our last night in the Cat KIngdom, friends; make the best of it. I'll do a little more snooping in the archives, you two find away to keep yourselves occupied," Baron stood and walked out the door, not giving Haru the opportunity to offer her help.

Haru looked at Muta who had his head in his hands. He peered at her from above his paws and gave her a death glare.

"What?" He grunted, trying to sound intimidating and failing.

Muta was a big softy and Haru knew it.

"Wanna give me a tour of the palace?" She asked, her eyes pleading.

"No. And what makes you think I even know my way around?" He looked away from her and stuffed another sandwich in his mouth.

"You don't? Great let's go explore together!" she flashed him her sweetest smile.

"No," sandwich dribbled from the corners of him mouth.

"Awe, Muta," she pouted sadly and Muta sighed gruffly.

Haru knew she'd won.

"Whatever," Haru contained her outward cheer and only grinned brightly.

Muta picked up the entire sandwich tower and carried it with them as the left the room. Haru chose a direction she hadn't gone in yet and Muta dragged himself along behind her. They curved down dozens of hallways, down a few flights of stairs and up others, peering in open doors and windows, eventually ending up in a deserted area of the palace. Even though if was completely silent and not a maid was in sight, the halls were spotless, devoid of dust. They walked in the silent wing for awhile until they were stopped by a dead end.

"Hm, looks like that's it." Haru said, satisfied with their exploration.

They turned around and Haru followed the path they'd taken to get there. _Left, left, right, left… right, left… right? No definitely left. Which door was it?_

"Kid, do not tell me you don't remember how to get back," Muta said angrily.

Haru chuckled guiltily, and looked up at Muta's borderline furious face, with a look of shame.

"Uh, sorry Muta," Muta growled ferociously and slammed the sandwich tower down.

"Should have stayed with the food," he grumbled to himself, taking the lead.

Haru followed him down the maze of hallways that seemed endless. She definitely didn't recognize anything, and there was no one around to give them directions. They wandered for what felt like an eternity, and then Haru spotted a figure turn a corner.

"Muta," she whispered, unreasonably feeling the need to lower her voice.

"What?" He half- shouted, obviously not feeling the same need.

"I saw someone go around that corner," she said, pointing to where she saw the figure.

Muta's eyes widened and he rushed off to follow the stranger before they got away, holding Haru's entire forearm in one hand. Muta slid on the smooth marble floor and slammed into the wall, dragging Haru into him. They watched the figure's shadow pass over the far wall as it turned another corner and Muta barreled off again, towing a protestant Haru along behind him.

When they turned the second corner, the unknown cat turned abruptly, terror eminent in her crying eyes. When she saw who they were, her mouth twisted into a clownish grin, despite the tears flowing from her panicked eyes.

"Please," she said, taking shaky steps towards them, her voice sickeningly sweet. "You are not allowed to be here, gues-"

Before she could finish her last sentence, her gruesome facade broke and she crumbled to the floor, weeping. Haru flew to her form, confused but wanting to comfort her. When Haru tried to touch her the cat lashed out, cowering away from her and pulling herself close to the shadow of the wall.

"Stop, it's okay, we won't hurt you," Haru soothed, unsure of what do.

She wished desperately that Baron were with her. She looked to Muta for help; he wore a very serious expression on his face, but offered none. She took a deep breath and sat back on her heels, keeping her space.

"Can you tell me why you're crying?" Haru asked, keeping her tone smooth.

The cat didn't respond and only seemed to shiver harder.

"Please, we're here to help. Tell us what's wrong," the cat's head jerked up. She didn't look afraid anymore, only anguished and sad. She looked a Haru for a moment, tears making a steady stream down her face.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Haru," she said in between sobs, and shrunk into herself again.

"Sorry for what?" Haru asked, but the cat didn't respond.

She moved a little closer to the feline, but she seemed to have relaxed, her only movement now an infrequent shudder. Haru touched her back gently and when the cat didn't move, spoke to her in a low voice.

"My friend Muta and I are going to take you to find some more help, but I was wondering if you needed to be carried or if you could walk."

The cat only cried, so Haru motioned for Muta to pick her up. She didn't struggle; only hung limp in Muta's arms. She wouldn't speak when they asked her questions, so they were forced to wander the halls of the abandoned wing until they found their way out. Haru now recognized her surroundings, and getting back to their rooms was easy. They checked in Baron's room to see if he'd returned, but he hadn't.

"What do we do with her?" Muta asked, gruffly, but Haru heard the kindness behind it.

"Um, I don't think we should keep her here," Haru thought about what to do. "We could take her to Natori; he might be able to help."

Muta nodded and followed her back out the door. Haru figured since Natori was the Cat King's advisor, he'd probably be with the Cat King in his throne room. Haru had no wish to see the Cat King again, but she didn't know what else to do. Muta couldn't carry her around all day, and Baron tended to do his own thing; who knew when he would be back.

Enormous double doors guarded the golden entrance to the king's throne room, where the Cat King himself lounged, with a tired looking Natori standing loyally behind him. When that Cat King noticed her entrance, he sat up straighter, a warped smile stretching over his face, making his eyes squint. Natori now looked wide awake, and somewhat fearful.

"Heyy, baby," the Cat King drawled, making Haru wrinkle her nose in disgust. "Glad you came back to me. I was gonna talk to you tonight, but this is better."

"I'm not your 'baby', Cat King. And I didn't come here to talk to you, I came to talk to Natori." The surprise and mild anger playing on the king's face at her words gave her a keen sense of satisfaction.

Natori was obviously surprised at the turn of events and walked timidly down the steps towards Haru and Muta. When his eyes scanned over Muta and the body he had slung over his shoulder, he quickened his pace and Muta set her down gently.

The cat stood with her head drooping onto her chest, a dead look in her eyes, but no more tears. Natori examined her carefully and looked more and more concerned with every passing moment.

"Where did you find her?" he whispered to Haru who was starting to adopt the panic that was coming off of Natori in waves.

"In the abandoned western wing." Haru said, terribly confused.

"You shouldn't have brought her here," He said in a voice so low she almost didn't hear him.

"Natori, what's wrong is she hurt?"

"No, that's the pr-" The king's shout cut him off before he could finish.

"NATORI!" He screamed making everyone jump, save for the mysterious cat. "Is- there- a- PROBLEM?!"

Natori flinched, an uncertain look on his face, mixed with what looked like guilt. Haru had no idea what was happening, but she did know that she'd done something horribly wrong.

"Um," he started, his eyes darting from his king to Haru. "No problem, sire, it's j- just… one of your s- servants isn't very… happy."

Natori stuttered over his words and ended quietly. The king suddenly looked very bored, and slumped back into his chair.

"Oh," he said, nonchalantly. "Send her to my quarters. I'll check up on her later to make sure she's 'happy'"

He chuckled vulgarly, and Haru finally understood; she was furious.

"Wait, no! Natori this isn't what I meant, she needs help!" Two large security cats scooped her up and Haru kicked one of them weakly in the shin. The cat didn't even glance at her. "Stop, Natori don't let this happen!"

Natori coward away, shrinking behind the cackling king's throne. _How could he be so loyal to such a snake._ She thought, her temper boiling on her tongue. Muta spun her around to face him before she could say anything, and Haru could see the anger in his eyes as well, but something was cloaking it.

"Pick you're fights, kid," he whispered, staring Haru in the eyes. "You declare war on the Cat King, you declare war on the entire Cat Kingdom, and I hate to break it to ya, but we're still in it."

Haru understood his point, but her anger stopped her from thinking sensibly. Muta didn't really give her a choice though; the paw on her shoulder was clenched in a death grip that Haru couldn't have gotten out of if she'd tried.

"Thank you for seeing us, your Majesty," He said, bowing low. "Glad to see you being so generous to subjects as low as common servants."

Haru went red at the last comment and thrashed out at him as they left the room. When they were out of sight, Muta tossed her off of him, her claws being ripped out of his skin.

"I cannot believe you!" Haru shouted, and Muta put a toe to his lips.

"Save it for when we get back to the room kid, we're still in ear shot," he said quietly, and left her to follow behind him.

When they got back, Baron was sitting at the table waiting for them. When he saw his friends expressions, he looked surprised and stood up.

"Nah, it's alright Baron, take a seat," Muta said calmly, infuriating Haru all over again.

"It's alright?!" Haru shouted, letting her now raging temper go unchecked. "You just let them take her like she was nothing! Who knows what that disgusting cat is going to do with her!"

"Oh, this is my fault?! You're the one who made the decision to take her to Natori, sweetheart," he said, mockingly. "This is not on me."

"I took her to Natori to find help!-" The finger that Haru was pointing at Muta was slowly lowered by Baron's gentle hand on her's, stopping her mid- rant.

Haru's anger suddenly faded into luke warmness, making her feel sorry for ever shouting in front of Baron. He looked back and forth between them both now, each of them with a remorseful look on their face, and finally spoke.

"Does someone want to fill me in on what I missed?" he asked them and and Muta and Haru eyed each other, silently deciding who should explain.

"Go ahead, kid," Muta eventually said, and Haru took a breath, deciding where to begin.

Haru began by telling him how they got lost while exploring the abandoned west wing of the castle, when they saw a figure walking through the halls. They both had assumed that it was a maid who was working in one of the rooms, but when they tried to stop her to ask for help, she was crying, and acted as if she were afraid of them. Strangely, she tried to cover it up with a smile despite the tears pouring from her eyes, but eventually fell apart.

Haru hadn't known what to do with her since Baron wasn't around, and she clearly needed help, so she decided to take her to Natori. Natori looked at her and had said that she wasn't injured in any way, but said that the problem was that she was unhappy. Then the king ordered some of his guards to take he to his quarters so that he could make her 'happy' again. The implications of the king's words clung to the air like unwanted bacteria, giving the air around them a dirty feeling.

"You both made choices that you believed, at the time, were for the best. None of this is your fault." he said, in response to Haru's finished story.

Baron was pacing the room, his chin resting in his fist.

"Did this 'Mystery Cat' say anything to you at all?" Baron asked, and Haru remembered.

"Yes, she said 'I'm so sorry, Haru'."

"Strange," Baron said.

"But, she really wasn't making any sense. I mean she was wandering around aimlessly in abandoned hallways," Muta added.

"True, but so were you," Baron pointed out, shutting Muta up.

"I wonder if she was really wandering," Baron said, thoughtfully. "What if she was looking for something?"


End file.
